What does a connected bicycle network really look like?

I have spent a lot of time talking with people about bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Sometimes, it’s a passionate advocate with an abundance of knowledge on the topic. At others, I am introducing brand-new concepts and transportation solutions to people. The challenge that all these interactions tend to have in common is that sometimes you just have to see and experience something to understand it.

Some days, we struggle because we don’t have quite the right pictures to give a new word meaning that sticks. At other times, merely pointing to a feature on a diagram and explaining the benefits is still too abstract. Honestly, I don’t blame folks if their eyes roll back a bit at hearing terms such as “Flexible Delineator Posts,” “Chicane,” or “Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon.” While we describe these treatments in our Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan for Southeast Michigan and Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Map, the real path to understanding is to get out there and experience how this features work, especially in concert with one another, to create a more comfortable and safe riding experience.

Last summer, Detroit Councilmember and recent SEMCOG Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force Chair Scott Benson organized a group ride for Detroit-based stakeholders and decision makers to experience newly-installed protected bike lanes on Livernois Avenue. This event demonstrated the value of network connections and also showcased the newer bicycle facilities in Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge. SEMCOG tagged along for the ride and documented the experience in this video:

As you can see, this virtual tour features a variety of different bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure from a first-person and aerial perspective. We point out newer best practices such as bicycle signals, bike boxes, and green infrastructure. We show how to transition between different bicycle facilities as the land use and roadway context changes. Best of all, we show what it’s like to ride on bicycle-friendly roadways in three cities in two different counties. It’s not the same as getting out there yourself, but we feel this video is pretty much the best next thing.

I encourage anyone who is interested in helping to build a great bicycle network to check out this video and reach out to me or my SEMCOG colleagues. We will be happy to answer any questions and assist however we can with adding facilities that fit the needs of your community.